About

$34,646

pledged of $6,200 goal

463

backers

What is Balloon Mapping?

Balloon mapping is sending a camera up on a balloon, snapping photos, and stitching them into a map. Over the past 18 months, we’ve build a global community of mappers who use balloons and kites to take aerial photos, and our browser application MapKnitter to stitch them together. We've put our experience into a comprehensive balloon mapping kit that only costs $85 (shipping included) and comes with illustrated instructions.

Who is the Public Laboratory?

The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (PLOTS) is a non-profit and a community of activists, educators, scientists, technologists, community leaders, and organizers that develop and apply open-source tools to environmental exploration and investigation. By democratizing inexpensive and accessible “Do-It-Yourself” techniques, Public Laboratory creates a collaborative network of practitioners who actively re-imagine the human relationship with the environment.

You've believed in us before and been a major part of our success. That's why we're coming back to the Kickstarter community that gave us our start. We need your help to initiate large-scale distribution of our tools. As a fully funded-non profit, we are only looking to Kickstart our first run of balloon kits, and launch distribution and assembly infrastructure that we can then apply to other tools in development. All money collected beyond our costs will go towards tool distribution to communities in need.

Why balloon mapping?

Balloons fly low and can be used to take high-resolution images. Residents of the Gulf Coast are using balloon mapping to produce their own aerial imagery of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. For the first weeks of the disaster a restricted flight zone was declared below 4000ft... but not for balloons.

What is in the balloon kit?

A 5.5 foot (170cm) reusable balloon made of a latex/chloroprene (neoprene) mix, making it UV resistant, fairly tear resistant, and excellent at retaining helium. Two-four days of flights can be had with one filling of helium.

1000 feet (305m) of 110lb test (55 kilo) Dacron line for tying to your balloon, all pre-wound on our favorite 8" hoop winder. We tracked these back to the factory and are having them custom wound. No other winder is sold with more than 500' of line.

Protective rubberized gloves for handling the line. Thin, high-strength line can cause burns to unprotected hands. We ship you a pair of rubber-coated cotton gloves. With rubberized gloves the line is also much easier to pull in.

Three high-strength swivel clips. For attaching the balloon and camera, with one extra.

What is Grassroots Mapping Forum?

Grassroots Mapping Forum is a brand-new quarterly publication produced by the Public Laboratory to support grassroots mappers. One of our balloon or kite made maps appears on the front side, with notes, how-tos, and interviews on the back. The first issue is 25"x35" and printed on acid-free paper. We have 300 copies left. if they run out, we will ship Grassroots Mapping Forum #2 to you in April.